Is your information safe?

Privacy Issues

I just updated to the new Firefox 37 and you should too. Both Google and Firefox are now block SSL Certificates from China’s CNNIC Certificate Authority. They have be caught forging invalid certificates and you could be hacked if you visits websites that use these certificates.

If you want to have a laugh about searching the web anonymously watch this video which pokes fun at the NSA and Google spying on us.

It’s a knowns fact that lots of people are watching you surf the web. Why not just have a guy with a megaphone yell out what your searching for in public. ShopPrivate.org filmed a man with a megaphone reading over people’s shoulders and announcing what they just typed.

Now that Facebook has purchased WhatsApp everybody is wondering if WhatsApp is safe for texting.

Well, the fact is, WhatsApp has never really been a secure texting app and now that Facebook is the owner your texts will certainly be read and used by Facebook, the NSA and who knows who else.

Facebook recently made some changes to it’s Android mobile app requesting access to all your text messages. If you want to use their app you have to accept the permission update. I’m sure the same will be true for WhatsApp soon.

One of my favorite shows and the best source for Security & Privacy related issues on the internet is the Security Now show with Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte. There are lots of great shows on Twit so definitely check it out.

They get a little technical sometimes, but it’s a great show to listen to even if you don’t understand it all.

I try to distill the great information they give out there and make it more understandable for the non techie person.

Keep your browsing habits safe from prying eyes with the Do Not Track Me browsing extension for Goolge Chrome.

Many big companies are paying good money to know what your looking at and buying online. Advertisers never had it so good before. No they can purchase data about you and your online activity and target you with very specific ads.

Maybe one day you’re looking a running shoes online and there’s a company that caters to runners, they could buy that information and target you with more products you may like. On the one hand it’s kind of nice to see only what you’re interested in, but say you go online and look up the weird rash you have that just came out of no where. You could be targeted with a whole new set of ads you don’t want to see flashing at you every time you get online.

If you install the Do Not Track me Chrome Extension it will keep your browsing habits private to you.

In January 2012 we defeated the SOPA and PIPA censorship legislation with the largest Internet protest in history. Today we face another critical threat, one that again undermines the Internet and the notion that any of us live in a genuinely free society: mass surveillance.

In celebration of the win against SOPA and PIPA two years ago, and in memory of one of its leaders, Aaron Swartz, we are planning a day of protest against mass surveillance, to take place this February 11th.

Together we will push back against powers that seek to observe, collect, and analyze our every digital action. Together, we will make it clear that such behavior is not compatible with democratic governance. Together, if we persist, we will win this fight.

Data Privacy Day is an international effort to empower and educate people to protect their privacy and control their digital footprint.

Data Privacy Day began in the United States and Canada in January 2008 as an extension of the Data Protection Day celebration in Europe. Data Protection Day commemorates the January 28, 1981, signing of Convention 108, the first legally binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection. Data Privacy Day is now a celebration for everyone, observed annually on January 28.

With Internet privacy becoming such a huge issue more and more people are asking Do I need a VPN? Learn what a VPN is and why you need one in this blog post.

What is a VPN?

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network.

Typical Use of A VPN

When companies have offices in multiple locations or remote staff they often use a VPN to allow their staff connect to private services that would normally only be available if they were connected to the physical network at the home office.

Work at Home Example

Let’s say you work from home and you need to connect to a special database or program that you normally only have access to from your work computer and it’s not a web application like Facebook. Your company could setup a VPN that allows you to connect through the public Internet to the home office network and have a PRIVATE and SECURE access into the company network to access all the same stuff you would have access at work.

The VPN creates a secure tunnel that connects you directly to work network and it’s secured by strong encryption technologies. So even from a coffee shop with FREE Wifi you could use your office programs securely.

Using a VPN to Protect Your Privacy and Identity Online

There are many companies that have setup VPN servers all over the world for the general public to use.

So, instead of using a VPN to connect to your work, you use these VPN services to connect to the regular Internet.

Why use a VPN to connect when I can connect without it?

The key reason is the strong data encryption and private tunnel that a VPN provides which hides you from those that may be spying on you.

VPN Diagram

Here are some great reasons to use a VPN

Your internet service provider may be blocking access to certain websites. For instance, China blocks a lot of websites like Google and Facebook. So you could use a VPN to act like you are surfing the web from another country and access those websites.

Your internet service provider may be collecting data about your web usage and creating a profile to sell to others or report you to government agencies.

When using FREE Wifi networks your data may be captured by nefarious hackers wanted to steal you identity.

If you want to keep your data safe from any prying eyes and companies that want to track you across the internet.

Should I use a FREE or Paid VPN Service?

You can easily find a FREE VPN services with a quick Google search, but I recommend you don’t use them. Why? Well basically you are letting that person or company spy on everything you do. It could be a hacker stealing passwords and credit cards or it could be the NSA or some other spy organization looking to steal data about people.

You need to your a paid service that has a lot of servers all over the world that is known and trusted by many people.